Jim's Marketing Blog

Marketing tips and ideas to help you grow your business

Stop marketing. Replace it with something better

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better than marketing

Photo: Shutterstock.

If you dislike marketing or simply find it a frustrating waste of time and money, today’s post is especially for you.

Just how frustrating is marketing?

The vast majority of small business owners I’ve spoken to over the past 25 years, work hard. They put a lot of hours in, too. Yet they feel compelled to tell me that when it comes to marketing their products or services, they’re lazy.

And it’s just not true.

So, why do they think they’re being lazy about their marketing?

They regard marketing as being dull (which it is) and pushy (which it is) and irritating (which it is). So they quite understandably try to avoid it.

They see that avoidance as being lazy. However, it’s completely natural to want to avoid things that are dull and irritating. We avoid crap and marketing is a constant source of dull, irritating crap.

Let’s remember.

  • Marketing is responsible for the junk mail and spam that clogs up our inbox.
  • Marketing is behind those unsolicited telemarketing calls that interrupt us at home with our family.
  • Marketing is the reason strangers pester us in the street with flyers.
  • Marketing is responsible for the sales spam that floods social media.
  • Marketing is also responsible for pushy connection requests from salespeople on Linkedin.
  • Marketing is the cause of all those repetitive commercials that ruin every piece of media we consume.

This begs the question: How do you grow your business without marketing?

Drop marketing. Replace it with something better

If you dislike marketing and are not happy with the way your business is growing, it’s time to replace it with something better.

Something that will instinctively feel right.

Something you won’t want to avoid.

Something that’s just a natural extension of the work you do.

Allow me to explain, along with a few examples.

Better than marketing

Imagine you’re walking in the park on a scorching hot day. You didn’t bring enough water and now you’re feeling really, really thirsty. It’s getting warmer. You notice your throat is now dry. Thankfully, you finally spot a sign for ice-cold drinks with an arrow pointing to a small hut. You walk over, buy a bottle of water and eagerly gulp it down. You then buy another bottle for you to enjoy on your journey home. You thank the vendor and head back.

That sign with the arrow, saying ‘ice-cold drinks’ didn’t feel like marketing.

It didn’t pester you, it didn’t bore you, it wasn’t dull and it certainly was not an unwanted interruption. It was exactly what you were looking for. And the vendor just sold a couple of bottles of water to a very happy customer.

Everyone’s happy.

Better than marketing

I recall walking into the study to ask my wife, (Sharon) if she wanted a coffee. I quickly noticed that she was listening to an interview with a musician, whose work she loves. He was talking about his new album and the inspiration behind some of the tracks. Like thousands of other listeners, Sharon was buying the album as he spoke.

That radio interview sure didn’t feel like marketing.

Sharon had been looking forward to the interview all morning. She was listening intently and enthusiastically as the musician spoke. He wasn’t being dull and she was delighted after enjoying his interview and ordering the new album. The musician was happy having had a great interview and probably selling tons of albums. The radio show had just provided a great 30 minutes of entertainment.

Everyone’s happy.

Better than marketing

Just after the passing of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, a pundit made a point that I’d never noticed before. She said that almost every time the public saw him, Steve Jobs was selling us something. I found that interesting, partly because it had never crossed my mind before, despite watching all his Apple presentations. And partly because I’ve spent thousands (and thousands) of dollars on Apple technology.

Those presentations certainly didn’t feel like marketing.

I loved listening to Jobs, so he was never an unwelcome interruption. I found his passion and showmanship infectious. His delivery of information was like a master-class in communications. I’d regarded his presentations as entertaining, must-see ‘events’. I bought Apple products that I’ve enjoyed using and never regretted. Jobs and Apple made a fortune in sales every time he spoke. Apple are now one of the biggest corporations in history.

Everyone’s happy.

Also better than marketing

People like myself, who share our knowledge in a newsletter or blog don’t need to market what we do. People hire us, knowing in advance what to expect. We simply make it easy to contact us and we keep being useful. It’s a joy to share useful ideas. Our audience gets some useful advice. Everyone’s happy.

Talking about joy…

What about those wonderful business owners who bake joy into the very process of doing business with them? They attract customers like moths to a flame. They also retain their customers for longer. These are the happiest business owners and their customers are happy too. Everyone’s happy.

Business doesn’t have to be dull and uninspiring. It’s a choice. A really bad choice, but a choice nonetheless.

With this in mind, there’s an obvious way forward.

Follow your heart and your head

Follow your heart: If you dislike the prescriptive marketing bullshit that’s based around pestering, interrupting and irritating people, please stop. You won’t be very good at it and it will make you miserable.

Follow your head: If you want to thrive, you’ll need to replace bullshit marketing with something better.

The examples I’ve shared are all things that have been baked into the way a business, or person, does business. Natural consequences of their day-to-day workflow. And by default, these are non-prescriptive. I know from the work I do on this with clients every day, that your specific mix must be developed around you, the kind of business you want and your unique personality.

That’s how to grow your business in a way that feels natural and authentic. And it’s how you create a business that thrives for you on every possible level.

When the vision pulls you, you don’t have to be pushed

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when vision pulls, don't need pushed, Steve Jobs vision

One of the most common questions people ask me, is in relation to blogging. Specifically, they want to know how I manage to push myself, to write and publish content as often as I do.

Here’s the answer.

Push or pull?

This quote from the late Steve Jobs answers that question beautifully:

If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.

— Steve Jobs.

If your vision of blogging is that it’s a necessary evil, you will fail on every metric:

  • You will fail to write as well as you can, because when you work through gritted teeth, it shows.
  • You will fail to show up with new information, often enough.
  • You will fail to engage people.

My blogging vision was different

I saw it as a professional and personal development opportunity. I knew that in order for me to share useful information regularly, I needed to feed my mind with useful information regularly. I quickly found another massive benefit to blogging, which is that writing regularly makes you a better communicator. That’s a huge asset for anyone.

So, even if I failed to attract a commercially valuable reader community, I’d still benefit. Firstly, I’d become far more informed. Secondly, I’d be better able to communicate my ideas than I would have been, had I not written all that content. This made it impossible for me to fail.

If you’re struggling to publish content regularly enough, don’t carry on working through gritted teeth. Change your vision. And then let that vision pull you.

Thankfully, Jobs’ concept works in every area of your life and isn’t limited to content creation.

Tip: If you found this useful, you can get my latest ideas delivered direct to your inbox, for free, right here.

Rediscovered: My business development notes from the 1990’s. Take a look!

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Okay, this one is a little weird.

While going through some of my old notebooks at the weekend, I rediscovered this list. It’s a series of points I put together back in 1998, to help guide the development of my (then) fledgling business. The list had things added and removed from it over the years, but these raw, original points were extremely useful to me. So I thought I’d share them with you.

marketing notes

Photo: Shutterstock.

In no particular order

  • Marketing is already full of robots in suits, so work like an artist. Make your work your signature. Think Warhol, Basquiat and Haring.
  • Eagerly seek out demanding clients, who need you to be at your absolute, creative best. They force you to stretch and improve.
  • Do something every day to earn the reputation you want. People need clues.
  • Avoid energy vampires.
  • Focus on being as useful as possible.
  • Love the marketplace you serve. Especially those who are the hardest to love. They need it the most.
  • Keep learning. You can’t share what you don’t already know.
  • Let your work be your megaphone, your networking and your primary source of recommendations.
  • Set deadlines. Tell the client what to expect, when to expect it and then deliver as promised.
  • Don’t borrow money. If you do, make sure it’s not for a depreciating asset.
  • Focus on creative ways to produce amazing results.
  • Do something every day to help those less fortunate than yourself.
  • Try and connect good people to other good people.
  • Learn from the success and failures of others.
  • When you think it’s correct, have the courage to take a different path from everyone else.
  • Eagerly look for the tricky kind of projects that others run away from. It’s the most rewarding work.
  • When work starts to become boring, stop. Identify the problem. Then fall back in love with the service of others.

I hope you found that useful.

How to avoid arguments and enjoy great client relationships

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how to avoid arguments clients, customer arguments

Photo: Shutterstock.

I witnessed an argument yesterday, between a business owner and one of his customers. It was noisy, public and has lost the business owner at least one customer. The whole situation could have been avoided, with the tip I’m going to share with you in today’s post. Here’s what happened, along with a valuable business lesson.

First, here’s a quote from the 1936 classic, How to win friends and influence people.

The book’s author, Dale Carnegie, said; “Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, you’re wrong! to them.”

You are right. They are right too. Maybe!

When someone disagrees with us, it’s easy to think that they are wrong. This is especially the case when we truly believe that our opinion is right.

Here’s the thing: It’s entirely possible that their opinion and our opinion are both correct, even when we see things very differently.

For example:

  • I really dislike the taste of almonds. In my opinion and in my experience, almonds taste disgusting.
  • You may love the taste of almonds. In your opinion, they taste absolutely delicious.
  • If we went through a lie detector test, we would both be proven to be telling the truth — even though our answers were 100% different.

That’s the thing about opinions. When an opinion is given as an answer, it’s usually one of dozens, maybe hundreds, of possible correct answers.

How one retailer got it very wrong

I was prompted to write this post, after listening to a business owner arguing with one of his customers. The argument took place yesterday in a cycle shop.

Here’s what happened.

The customer asked if the retailer stocked a particular brand of tyre. The retailer asked why the customer wanted that brand. The customer explained that in his experience, it was the best on the market. The retailer then insisted the customer was wrong. He even went so far as to get his iPad out and show some negative Amazon.com reviews of the tyre.

Incidentally, I would have picked a different brand of tyre than either of those picked by the customer or the shop owner. That’s because depending on our experience with different brands of tyre, we will have formed different opinions.

Anyhow, the customer walked out of the shop, shaking his head in frustration. After the confrontational stance the retailer took, and his raised voice, I doubt the customer will ever return — especially as he now knows he can get the tyre he wants, for less, on Amazon!

The retailer had a smug grin on his face, assuming he’d won the argument. What he’d actually done, was lose a customer by showing zero respect for the customer’s opinion and turning a sales enquiry into a heated argument. I’m not sure any business owner can sustain too many victories like that.

Turning a difference of opinion into a valuable opportunity

We don’t have to agree with everyone. What we should do, however, is learn to respect their right to their opinion.

Indeed, we can use our difference of opinion as a way to create a useful dialogue. We can even use it to deepen our relationship with customers, clients or contacts.

For example, here’s an effective way to handle a business situation, when your opinion is different from the other person.

  • Explain that all you’re interested in, is finding the best solution for them. This places both of you on the same side. The difference this makes to the tone of the conversation is huge.
  • Give the other person the opportunity to say what they want to say, without butting in. By allowing them to get their point across, they will feel less tense and feel more positively toward you, for showing them respect and recognition.
  • If you believe they’re incorrect or about to make a mistake, you should offer them another perspective. Note: You’re not arguing with them. You’re offering them your perspective based on your experience and expertise.
  • Then, offer an example of how your suggested approach has worked in the past, for people with similar challenges. This is massively more effective than looking for holes in their position and bombarding them with reasons why they’re wrong.
  • Ask them what they think and listen again without butting in.
  • Because there’s no confrontation, no argument to be won or lost, the other person is free to consider your opinion. They can now agree with you, without losing face.

Does this approach magically win around everyone, whose opinion is different from yours? No.

However, I’ve used this approach since starting my business in 1995 with huge success. It has gained me many clients and many good friends too. Equally, it has never lost me a client — unlike the kind of confrontational approach, used by the store owner in my example.

Interestingly, I’ve always found this approach to be massively more effective at helping others see things my way, than attacking their opinion.

Respect never gets old

The technologies we use today are very different from those, which were used when Carnegie wrote that amazing book. However, business is still all about people. Showing respect for others and their opinions, is just as important today as it was in 1936.

The right kind of business. The wrong kind of people

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You can’t build the right kind of business, with the wrong kind of people.

  • If the wrong kind of people work for you, they’ll ruin your business.
  • If the wrong kind of people hire you, they’ll ruin your business.

The solution seems simple: Decide exactly who the right people are. And then intentionally hire, and market to, the right people.

The tricky part? Saying ‘no’ to the wrong kind of people!

That’s why the best time to hire someone is before you desperately need a position filled. And the best time to choose a new client, is before you desperately need a new client.

It’s that easy.

And it’s that difficult.

But it’s required.

Build your ideal business. No selling required. None. Zilch!

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marketing, no selling

Photo: Shutterstock.

I’m going to share a powerful marketing idea with you today. It’s all about how to attract high quality clients (or customers). With no selling required.

These leads will come from people who already know you, who already value your work AND who really want to work with you.

Let’s go.

I need to start by asking you a question: Over the past 6 months, how much valuable, free information have you given to your prospective clients?

I’m specifically referring to things like newsletter articles, blog posts, videos, Zoom sessions, podcasts etc., which offer useful and valuable information… rather than thinly-disguised sales pitches.

Here’s why that question is critically important to building your ideal business.

No selling required

If you want an endless stream of high quality clients or customers, you need to be front of mind when they have a requirement. You need them to be thinking about you. This means you need to regularly give them something, which they will value. Something useful. Something that makes them interested in what you have to say.

Most small business owners waste their time, trying to get their marketplace excited, using sales messages and special offers. They haven’t figured out yet, that they need to develop a relationship with their marketplace, in advance, if they want to attract the very best enquiries.

Notice I said ‘attract‘ enquiries?

That’s right.

When you stop selling and start helping, your prospective clients come to you. I haven’t sold my services to anyone in over 20 years. But people hire me all the time. And the difference this makes is huge.

Engage and inform: Don’t just sell

The secret to attracting high quality inbound sales leads, is to focus on engaging your marketplace. Educate them. Inform them. Inspire them. Help with their problems. In short, become a valuable resource. And do this before they even need you.

By engaging in this way, you’ll quickly begin to build relationships and credibility with the people who pay for the exact kind of service or products you offer. And if you tailor the information you provide, so that it’s directly relevant to your IDEAL prospective clients, that’s who you’ll attract enquiries from. (Note that word attract again?)

Through the distribution of valuable, free information, you position yourself as an authority in your field. You also build a relationship with your prospective clients, where they naturally think of you as the source of the help they need. This makes you a safe pair of hands. It also makes hiring you or buying from you way less risky when they need a new provider.

Make no mistake, if you embrace this marketing idea and do it correctly, the results can be breathtaking. You can build your ideal business, working with great clients who value you.

And with no selling required.